Visit with Professor Huber (Willi Graf)

Question: Shortly after New Year’s 1943, you and Hans Scholl visited Professor Huber at his residence and discussed the advisability of producing leaflets with Huber. Please tell what you know about this discussion? [Note 1]

Answer: It is correct to say that this discussion took place between Huber, Scholl, and me. I think it was a Saturday afternoon when I met Scholl at his apartment. He then suggested that I accompany him to Gräfelfing to visit Professor Huber.

I initially thought that this was a so-called formal visit. Later in the conversation with Huber, leaflets were discussed for the first time (as far as I know), and I was initially very surprised. Scholl described the general economic, political, and militaristic situation, which he deemed to be extremely unfavorable and dangerous. He championed the point of view that the nation or rather the broad masses must be respectively enlightened, because in broad portions of the populace, there was a feeling of absolute security (due to one-sided propaganda), which could never be achieved.

In this context, Scholl contemplated the possibility of producing and distributing leaflets to enlighten the nation in that manner. Huber initially said that he was against leaflet propaganda namely because this means was not suited for reaching the broad masses, namely due to technical difficulties, first because there would not be a print shop available for duplication, second because of material shortages, and finally because it was a daring matter and that the leaflet [format] in and of itself had lost its propagandistic value due to earlier abuses.

Huber finally decided that he wished to consider the matter further and then give his opinion thereto. Scholl had already attempted to distract Huber’s contemplations with his enthusiasm and to give the illusion that the production and distribution of leaflets represented the best and most successful means of enlightening the nation.

When discussing the details of technical execution, Scholl emphasized the fact that one could use a duplicating machine for the production of leaflets and make the leaflets available to broad sections of the populace by mailing them or scattering them. I do not recall that the text of such leaflets was discussed in this context. However, it was discussed that propaganda should be limited to Southern Germany.

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Note 1: The question is formulated as a statement with a question mark at the end.